Trees Continue to Fall in 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 was characterised by marked reductions in lots of human activities. One thing that accelerated, however, was deforestation in key Tropical regions (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/31/destruction-of-worlds-forests-increased-sharply-in-2020-loss-tree-cover-tropical). A study by the University of Maryland and Global Forest Watch, calculate that circa 42,000 square kilometres of forest were cleared in 2020. The main areas involved were predictably the Amazon, the Congo and S-E Asia. The total area cleared is well above the average for the last 20 years. The 2020 deforestation figure is actually the third highest over that time. These tropical forests are an essential carbon sink (they take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it). This sink will not be replaced by simply planting conifers in Northern Europe. Loss of Tropical forest cover, makes uncontrollable climate change, for the whole planet, all the more likely. This is clearly an issue for COP26. The issue will not be solved, by telling the people making the clearances, not to do it.